Company Recalls Various Products Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

FDA, USDA, CDC investigating; no link to human illnesses at this time

Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minn., is voluntarily recalling instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two years, because they might be contaminated with Salmonella. The company sells these products to other industry customers, including distributors and manufacturers, who may have incorporated them into their own products. None of Plainview’s products were sold directly to the public.

Plainview has stopped production of these products and has notified its customers of the recall. Currently, the Plainview recall is limited to industry customers who received suspect product.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the FDA will update the public as new information emerges. At this time, the FDA is not aware of products being recalled at the consumer level.

"This recall is an appropriate precaution to protect public health,” said David W.K. Acheson, M.D., associate commissioner for foods in the Food and Drug Administration. “It reflects the concerted efforts of numerous partners at the local, state, and federal levels."

During an investigation of the Plainview facility, FDA found that some of the equipment was contaminated with Salmonella. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not linked any human illnesses to potentially contaminated products from the Plainview facility.

The FDA became aware of this problem through the U. S. Department of Agriculture. USDA found Salmonella in Dairyshake powder, in 100-gram pouches that were not for retail sale. The FDA began an investigation as to the source of the contamination. In the course of that investigation, Plainview Milk Products was identified as a supplier of a key ingredient in the Dairyshake powder. Inspection of the firm uncovered conditions that resulted in the broader recall.

The FDA is conducting this investigation in collaboration with USDA, CDC, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and state and local health departments.

FDA investigators are working to track the distribution of the Plainview ingredients to identify additional products that contain the recalled ingredients.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weak immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Most healthy people recover from Salmonella infections without treatment. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses, such as arterial infections (infected aneurysms), infection of the lining of the heart, and arthritis.

City Baking Brand Apple Crumb Cake

Company Contact:Barry Blaine718-392-8514

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 26, 2009 – City Baking LLC, of Long island City, NY is recalling 781 individually wrapped City Baking brand Apple Crumb Cakes, because they contain Walnuts, which were inadvertently omitted from the label. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Walnuts run the risk of serious or life threatening illness if they consume these products.

The product was distributed to 31 accounts in the following states: New York,, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maine. It was shipped by UPS directly from City Baking’s only warehouse, in Long Island City, NY.

The individually wrapped City Baking brand Apple Crumb Cakes can be identified by a bag code, either #161 or 169 and UPC # 854142000165. The product is 3 ¼ oz, and is packaged in a transparent plastic wrap.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The problem was identified on June 25, 2009 when an anonymous caller from Boston contacted City Baking LLC to inform them that the City Baking brand Apple Crumb Cake ingredient label did not list Walnuts as an ingredient, but walnuts were clearly present in the product. A subsequent investigation by City Baking LLC of the label indicated that Walnuts were not listed due to a temporary breakdown in the company’s labeling procedures; this was attributed to the introduction of a new label software program installed within the last 6 months. The label has since been corrected.

We suggest any consumers who still have the product to return it to City Baking LLC for a full refund, or call us at 718-392-8514, between 7:30AM and 4PM Eastern Time, and then destroy it. Please call City Baking LLC with any questions, or concerns.

Nuts For You Recalls Roasted & Salted Peanuts Because of Possible Health Risk

Media Contact:Randy Taylor

800-774-7033

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 25, 2009 – Nuts For You of Preston, ID is recalling up to 30 lbs of Roasted and Salted Peanuts because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The product was manufactured using peanut products recalled by Peanut Corporation of America. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

This product was distributed solely through our gift shop located at 645 North State Street, Preston, ID 83263 between the dates of March 15, 2008 –Jan 15, 2009.

Product is “Nuts For You” Roasted & Salted Peanuts packaged in one pound plastic bags with UPC # 1 84419 00007 0 and with a sell by date of Feb 18, 2009.

No known illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product. The recall was initiated after it was determined that the peanut product received was manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America. Nuts For You has informed FDA of its actions and is fully cooperating with the Agency.

If you purchased this product please return it to our place of business located at 645 North State Street, Preston, ID 83263 for a complete refund. Our hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (MST) or you can call us toll free at 800-774-7033 with any questions.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 23, 2009 – La Mexicana, Inc., of Seattle, Washington, is recalling Solena Tortilla Chips with a June 03, 2009 code date, because they may contain undeclared milk and milk products. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk or milk products run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

The Solena Tortilla Chips were distributed through retail stores and food service outlets in Washington and Oregon.

Solena Tortilla Chips are sold in clear, 16oz. bags that have the red, white, and green Solena label affixed to the front of the package. A code date of JUN 03 09 appears in the top right corner on the front of the bag.

One illness has been reported to date.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing milk and milk products was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of these ingredients. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in production and packaging processes.

Consumers who have purchased Solena Tortilla Chips with the June 03, 2009 code date are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact La Mexicana at 206-763-1488 between 9:00am-5:00pm PDT M-F

Ground Beef RecallWASHINGTON, June 22, 2009 - International Meat Co., Inc., a Chicago, Ill., establishment is recalling approximately 6,152 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall include: [View Labels, PDF Only]

These ground beef products were produced on June 17, 2009, through June 19, 2009, and were shipped to distributors and restaurants in the Chicago, Ill., metropolitan area.

The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Media and consumer questions regarding the recall should be directed to company Controller John Scorza at (773) 622-1400.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2009 - Pilgrim's Pride Corp., a Mount Pleasant, Texas, establishment, is recalling approximately 608,188 pounds of frozen poultry products because they may contain the undeclared allergens milk, soy, and wheat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. Milk, soy, and wheat are known potential allergens that are not declared on the label.

Each printed plastic bag bears an embossed establishment number "P7091A," "P13477" or "P13485A" near the zip seal on the packages as well as the USDA mark of inspection. Each bag also bears the "Best By" date of "JUL 25, 2009" through "JUN 8, 2010", a UPC code "0 11110 97158 6," and Julian dates of "8207" to "9159." The frozen poultry products were produced on July 25, 2008, through June 8, 2009, and were shipped to Kroger® retail establishments nationwide.

The problem was discovered by the company. FSIS has received no reports of illness due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an allergic reaction should contact a physician.

Media with question about the recall should contact company Director of Corporate Communications Ray Atkinson at (903) 434-1811. Consumers with questions should contact Kroger® Consumer Relations at (800) 632-6900.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

Garmin, Ltd. has announced a voluntary product safety recall of the 2009 version of its marine cartography data card, BlueChart® g2 and g2 Vision. Affected data cards were sold between April 8 and June 3, 2009.

Garmin has received reports of data cards giving inaccurate depth indications in waters along the coast of Sweden and Denmark.As a result, Garmin has chosen to recall all 2009 versions of the BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision cards sold in micro SD/SD card format.Customers are advised not to use these data cards for navigation.

Affected customers will be provided with a free replacement. BlueChart or BlueChart g2 Vision v2008.5; and when the 2009 version has been corrected Garmin will make it available free of charge to those customers.For more information on the recall go to www.garmin.com/bluechartrecall

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Poseidon West, of West Lake Village, Calif., Poseidon Central, of Conroe, Texas, and American Divers Division, of Alexandria Bay, N.Y., are voluntarily recalling about 300 Besea W50 Diving Wings with Poseidon Inner Bladders. The inner bladder located inside the diving wing can break, causing the wing to fail to operate as a floating/buoyancy device. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Loaded Boards Inc., of Beverly Hills, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 1,200 sets of Orangatang Skateboard Wheels. The recalled skateboard wheel’s core can shear and blow-out causing the wheel to separate from the skateboard truck’s axle and bearings. This poses a risk of serious injury to riders.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Crane Plumbing LLC, of Dallas, Texas, is voluntarily recalling about 5,500 Crane Bath Tubs With A Whirlpool. The drain covers in the tubs can entangle a bather’s hair in the openings, causing the bather’s head to be held under water, which can result in drowning.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Applica Consumer Products Inc., of Miramar, Fla., is voluntarily recalling about 584,000 Black & Decker® brand Spacemaker™ Coffeemakers. The brew basket can shift out of alignment allowing hot water to overflow. This poses a scalding and burn hazard to consumers.

Body Boards Recalled by JGR Copa Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: 18” Kick Body Boards

Units: About 900

Importer: JGR Copa LLC, of Hollywood, Fla.

Hazard: The green surface coating of the screened logo “Big Lizard™ body boards” on the underside of the body board contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the 18” Kick Body Board. The boards have various designs on the front including peace signs, white hibiscus, or yellow smiley face. A green lizard and “Big Lizard™ body boards” are printed on the underside in green.

Sold at: Beachwear Outlet, Bargain Beachwear, Beach Village Inc., FJ Health & Beauty, Mor USA Inc., Shipwreck-Ocean Jewels, Walmart and Wilcor International Inc. from January 2009 through May 2009 for about $4.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumer should take the recalled body boards away from children immediately and return them to place of purchase or contact JGR Copa for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, call JGR Copa at (800) 345-4408 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.jgrcopa.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Friday, June 19, 2009

JUNE 16, 2009FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Nevada company and its owners pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make pet food, which resulted in a nationwide recall of pet food and the death and serious illness of countless pets across the United States in 2007.

“Millions of pet owners were impacted by the pet food recall in 2007,” Whitworth said. “The conduct of these defendants in violating federal health and safety standards caused the deaths and illness of thousands of family pets, as well as anxiety among dog and cat owners across the country and economic harm to many pet food manufacturers.”

Sally Qing Miller, 43, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller, 56, both of Las Vegas, Nev., along with their company, Chemnutra, Inc., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Maughmer this afternoon to some of the charges contained in a Feb. 6, 2008, federal indictment, and agreed that the conduct charged against them in the remaining counts could be considered by the court as relevant conduct and used against them at the time of sentencing.

“The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations acted aggressively in 2007 to investigate Chemnutra,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “Today’s announcement reflects our continued commitment to investigate and prosecute companies and individuals that violate the law and endanger the public’s health through illegal conduct.”

Chemnutra is a company that buys food and food components in China and imports those items into the United States to sell to companies in the food industry. Sally Miller is the controlling owner and president of Chemnutra; Stephen Miller is an owner and chief executive officer of Chemnutra. Each of the three co-defendants pleaded guilty to one count of selling adulterated food and one count of selling misbranded food.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 19, 2009, Englewood Cliffs, NJ – Unilever United States, Inc. is voluntarily recalling Knorr® Kosher Soup Mix – Chicken Vegetable Flavor with Pasta imported from Israelbecause it contains undeclared egg. Persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to egg run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The situation has been investigated and corrected.

The product was distributed nationwide. There have been no reported cases of illness.

The product was manufactured in Israel by Unilever Bestfoods Israel Ltd. and imported and distributed by a third party (see back of package).

UNIT UPC:4800170660 (located on the back of the pouch under the bar code) – including all "BEST-IF-USED-BY" dates (located on a panel next to the UPC). The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing egg was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of egg.

Consumers who have the Knorr® Kosher Soup Mix – Chicken Vegetable Flavor with Pasta product are asked to discard it and call 877-270-7412, which is operational 24 hours a day, for information on the recall and to request a full refund. In addition, a consumer services representative is available between the hours of 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM EDT.

The company is placing a notification on the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) web site www.foodallergy.org and notifying FAAN’s individual members.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Solon, OH - June 19, 2009 - Nestlé USA’s Baking Division is initiating a voluntary recall of Nestlé® TOLL HOUSE® refrigerated cookie dough products. Nestlé is taking this action out of an abundance of caution after being notified that the Food and Drug Administration, together with the Centers for Disease Control, are conducting an investigation into reported E. coli 0157:H7 illnesses that may be related to consumption of raw cookie dough.

A number of consumers reporting illness reported consuming raw Nestlé TOLL HOUSE refrigerated cookie dough. While the E. coli strain implicated in this investigation has not been detected in our product, the health and safety of our consumers is paramount so we are initiating this voluntary recall. We have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control in this investigation. Providing safe, high quality products to our consumers is our number one priority.

No other Nestlé TOLL HOUSE products are impacted, including already baked TOLL HOUSE cookies purchased outside the home, all varieties of Nestlé TOLL HOUSE morsels, chocolate baking bars, or cocoa, and Dreyer’s and Edy’s ice cream products with Nestlé TOLL HOUSE cookie dough ingredients.

We want to strongly advise consumers that raw cookie dough should not be eaten. This message also appears prominently on our packaging. Nestlé TOLL HOUSE cookies made from refrigerated dough are safe to consume when baked as directed on the package. Consumers who have purchased these products should not consume them. Instead, we are asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund. We invite consumers with questions to contact Nestlé Consumer Services at 1-800-559-5025 and visit our web site at www.verybestbaking.com.

Friday, June 12, 2009

FDA Alerts Patients to Medtronic Pacemaker Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting patients to the Class I recall of certain MedtronicKappa and Sigma pacemakers. These devices may fail due to a separation of wires that connect the electronic circuit to other pacemaker components, such as the battery.

Patients with malfunctioning pacemakers may experience a return of symptoms associated with abnormal heart rate, such as fainting or lightheadedness. In rare cases, pacemaker-dependent patients may experience serious injury or even death.

There are more than 1.7 million Kappa or Sigma pacemakers implanted in patients throughout the world. Of those, only about 21,000 pacemakers are affected by this recall, most of which have been implanted in patients for five years or longer.

Medtronic Inc. issued a letter to physicians alerting them to this problem on May 18. The company communicated with patients via letter on May 27.

The affected pacemakers are Kappa Series 600/700/900 and Sigma Series 100/200/300. Patients with these models of Kappa and Sigma pacemakers should determine if their pacemaker is part of this recall by contacting Medtronic at 800-505-4636 or going to their Web site at http://www.KappaSigmaSNList.medtronic.com.

Patients who have these recalled pacemakers and those who are unsure if their pacemakers are affected should follow up with their primary care physician or cardiologist.

Through standard medical device reporting requirements, the FDA became aware of possible problems and worked with the company to address them. The FDA classified this voluntary recall as Class I, indicating reasonable probability that the use of the device will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.